Bowling with the homies

Kerry and Sarah Wood and their children pose for photos at Kerry Wood's Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament at 10 Pin Bowling Lounge in September 2011.

Kerry and Sarah Wood and their children pose for photos at Kerry Wood's Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament at 10 Pin Bowling Lounge in September 2011. (Photo by John Nunu Zomot)

About Last Night

Bowling for charity is hardly a new idea in the Chicago area. The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade hosts a bowling night during his annual Wade's World Weekend and the Cubs' Kerry Wood will host his Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling tournament for the seventh time June 27 at 10Pin Bowling Lounge. But it appears local athletes, past and present, are now jumping on the fundraising trend more than ever.

"We had our first Kerry Wood Strike Zone event in 2004 and really felt like we were pioneering this idea," said Sarah Wood, wife of Kerry Wood and Executive Director of the Wood Family Foundation, by email. "We were a little nervous that it wouldn't catch on. Everyone had always done golf outings and we wanted to do something different. We didn't realize what a success it would be…"

“It’s a way to give back in a nontraditional atmosphere and have a lot of fun,” Azumah said by email. “When you are asking, at times, the same people to attend your events, or those who go to the same types of events regularly, you have to do something different just for them.”

“A bowling tournament is very interactive,” said Clark by email. “The people who attend the event will be able to reach out and touch, talk to, and have a good time with the celebrities in attendance. Bowling is also a sport that all people can enjoy -- even if you're bad at it.

“You have everyone in close proximity to each other which leads to the interaction that those who pay to attend look forward to. Galas and golf tournaments, which are great charity fund raising events, only give you so much access. Mostly importantly, it's fun.”